The government of Sweden has agreed that there have been periods where the Spelinspektionen has not conducted sufficient market supervision, highlighted in a new national audit.
In its 105-page report, Sweden’s National Audit Office raised key points about the gambling regulator’s recent supervisory work, highlighting potential areas of improvement in the cooperation between the government and the authority.
The audit, which was commissioned in late 2024, reached the conclusion that the control of the Swedish gambling market has not fully met the expectations set out by the Riksdag (Parliament) and the government in the 2019 re-regulation of the market.
One of the report’s key takeaways is that Spelinspektionen has failed to carry out a sufficient number of inspections, individual checks of operators were not based on well-founded risk analysis, and there hasn’t been enough follow-ups to determine whether deficiencies have been resolved.
In this context, the Audit Office has recommended for the government to ensure that Spelinspektionen is well-equipped to conduct its supervision duties to their full extent, as well as provide the necessary support for the collection of fair and reliable information that should be then shared with the Riksdag.
Otherwise ‘positive’ of the audit’s general assessment, the government stated that it “partially agrees” with the above as it has already taken measures to obtain additional data for follow-ups on multiple occasions.
One given example was the series of appropriation letters from 2019 and 2020 when Spelinspektionen was required by the government to produce monetary reports on the work it carries out in regards to control, supervision, licensing and permit testing.
Another mention was the 2023 Spring Amendment Budget and the allocation of additional funds to the regulator, which the government highlighted as proof that it receives sufficient information about potential risks and shortcomings in Spelinspektionen’s operations.
Regardless, the government remained in agreement with the audit’s conclusion that Spelinspektionen’s reporting of results from its supervisory duties can be further developed.
Mention of the black market was also made in the audit, which assessed that because the Gambling Act only applies to online gambling specifically targeting the Swedish market, more opportunities may arise to take advantage of a ‘grey area’ for unlicensed online gambling providers.
The recommendation by the Audit Office as to how the government and Spelinspektionen should address this going forward is to introduce more clarity and conciseness regarding online gambling rules included in the Swedish Gambling Act.
The government’s response stated that several measures to improve this have already been taken since the audit was commissioned in 2024. One of them includes the tasking of Spelinspektionen and the Financial Supervisory Authority with a review of how the communication between both entities can be improved upon – with the goal of achieving more efficiency in the fight against the black market.
A separate report is also due by 31 March, where the gambling regulator is expected to present a working plan for improving its supervisory activities in order to better protect the Swedish gambling market from unlicensed operators and match-fixing activities.
Finally, SBCNews reminds readers that the government recently commissioned a third report to uncover potential regulatory amendments, with Marcus Isgren, Chairman and Head of the Swedish National Board of Complaints, leading the initiative.
